Thomas Rogers

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A keen cyclist is set to take on a 2,000-mile round trip for a fertility charity.

Martin Rae, from Southsea, will raise funds to tackle the infamous route from one end of the country to the other, but with a twist.

He’ll not only be riding from Land’s End, the UK’s most south-westerly point, to John O’Groats in the north, he’ll be coming all the way back too – and says he’ll be the first person to do so.

Thirty-year-old Martin is doing all of this by himself for fertility charity The Rachel Foundation.

He said: ‘I hope to complete the challenge within one month, leaving on August 1 and returning on August 31.

‘I’m a keen cyclist and a very active, outdoor person. I’ve set myself a no bed-and-breakfast rule – I’ll be camping every night and carrying all my gear and food.’

The journey is not for the faint-hearted, as Martin will travel through harsh terrain and doesn’t want to make the task easy for himself.

The Rachel Foundation is a charity Mr Rae holds close to his heart after going through difficult circumstances with a partner.

The volunteer worker at Learning Links, North End, says he wants to raise the cash to help those going through similar difficulties.

He’ll be funding the trip himself and is determined nothing will stop him completing the challenge, despite not being able to do it last year after his bike was stolen.

Martin added: ‘It will not be me that fails. If anything goes wrong, it will be down to my equipment. I have had sponsorship from pubs, clubs, bars and shops around Albert Road. So far I’ve raised nearly £500.

‘At the end of the trip I’ll get a certificate to say I’m the first person in the world to ride there and back.’